


Before and After

by Dwarfanonymice



Series: The life and troubles of a Bat in love (with the long suffering partecipation and loving it of Superman) [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, DCU, DCU (Comics), Justice League (2017), Justice League - All Media Types, Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff and Crack, M/M, Vicky Vale (mentioned)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-06-08 05:33:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15236445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dwarfanonymice/pseuds/Dwarfanonymice
Summary: There was a time before.A time in which talking to his kids was painful.A time in which having a relationship was painful.A time fuelled by vengeance.There is a time after.





	Before and After

**Author's Note:**

> English is still not my first language.  
> This is really crack. Don't be fooled by the first paragraphs. It seems I was in a profound state of mind when writing this.

There was a time before.

A time in which talking to his kids was painful.

A time in which having a relationship was painful.

A time fuelled by vengeance.

There is a time after.

The pain of talking to his children has become an occasion of mutual growth, respect and understanding.

Dick still respects him and… loves him.

Barbara is a strong woman, so confident and she is his supporter. Even after all this time.

Stephanie is his joy and Cassandra is his pride. Both are so incredible. He really appreciates his daughters and he cannot tell them enough. They are really exasperated by what Jason calls “his middle aged idiocy”, but he knows they are pleased. They smile. At him.

Tim’s silence has translated in ideas being thrown around like batarangs. They are precise, quick and he babbles away, with his computer, at Bruce’s side. In the Batcave and everywhere he can find him.

Damian’s “Father” is not dictated by confusion and rage, but born out of love. He will not admit it. He is stoic, his son in every way. He has not still confessed that he likes Clark and he cannot wait to go out in patrol with him, because he really likes when Superman sometimes, when no one is watching closely, takes him and they fly together. (Dick is very pouty when he finds out. He does not tell Damian that he saw them. He likes his head where it is.)

Jason, well… Jason is his greatest guilt. His greatest mistake and his redemption. They are still mending, still having ups and downs, days where cups are broken and words are cutting and days where smiles are easier. Those days Big Blue, as Dick calls him, he’s around (ironic, considering he’s shorter than Bruce himself. Not that he tells him. Much.)

The pain of seeing Alfred withdrawing from him behind a veneer of concerned sarcasm and frustrated inability of making him see reason has become the pride in Alfred’s eyes, the love, the soft smile in the corner of his mouth when he sees him with Clark and his family restored. In a Manor under construction, but getting there.

Now his time is fuelled by hope, stronger than steel, and a love so encompassing that leaves him breathless.

He is very much aware that his behaviour in public has changed, that he is more open, happier, smiling. So that’s why, being the overprotective asshole he is (thanks Jason), a micromanaging bastard (thanks Clark) and a hyper private person who will do everything to protect his loved ones by a real scrutiny from the public eye, his Brucie persona has now a foot-in-mouth syndrome that is even more accentuated than before. Clark thinks he was always an over-the-top dumbass, because subtlety, like all of Gothamites, is not in his DNA. He is clearly wrong.

They agreed as a couple to speak to Vicky Vale to assuage rumours of their relationship being fake. “It seemed a good idea at the time” thinks Clark while reading the article and having breakfast with Alfred who is silently laughing. It is a good thing that no one of the Bats is up before 10. He would not have known how to react. He is now fighting between embarassment and amusement and he is not sure he would not laugh in front of Bruce, making his resolve to keep up his deception even stronger. He is not going to give him the satisfaction.

While Alfred is preparing the pancakes for Jason who is usually the first to come down, Clark reads aloud his two favourite passages to see the other man’s reaction.

_**Vicky Vale:** “How has your life changed since you came out?” _

_**Bruce Wayne:** “It hasn’t. I get the same amount of idiots who yells at me in the streets for corrupting their youths. But this is Gotham. We are all corrupt. I often say that being bisexual is a game and I am winning. I mean, have you seen Clark?” _

_The readers will be interested to note that the gorgeous man in question pinked and only emitted a loving and long suffering sigh. He really knows our Brucie._ (At that, Alfred looks knowingly at Clark).

_**Vicky Vale:** “How did you discover your attraction to him? I mean, he is gorgeous, but you did not seem very keen on the idea of him in your first public interaction. I am talking about the infamous Luthor’s party. The one for Metropolis’ library.” _

_**Bruce Wayne** , ignoring the question, as usual: “Clark Kent was at first many things. Friend, confidant, occasional guest star in some confusing dreams that remind me that a man’s sexuality is a moving target. Now he is the love of my life. Are we done?” _

_We were indeed done, dear readers, as the hunk of his dreams kissed him on the lips, took his hand, smiled at me and told me softly that they needed to go. I confess that I was too dazed to react properly. I can see now what Bruce loves in him and our favourite socialite billionaire is clearly one lucky man._

Clark is interrupted by the sound of Alfred’s clear laughter ringing in the kitchen: “You are well matched, Master Clark. You are clearly as manipulative as him.”


End file.
